Sightseeing Cruises

Budapest Danube River Cruise in a Historic Paddle Steamer

Cruise boat on the Danube River in Budapest with modern glass building in background.

Guests enjoying a scenic view on a historic cruise in Budapest.

Woman enjoying a drink on a historic cruise in Budapest.

Cruise boat on the Danube River in front of the Hungarian Parliament Building, Budapest.

Duration

1 hr

Free cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience

Book now, pay later

Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.

Audio guide

Enhance your experience with multilingual audio guide

4.8/5

(80)

Keiko

Nov 2025

Verified booking

5/5

It was an amazing experience, we had 4pm boat and could see changing the sky colour,enjoyed the stunning views. welcome drink made us comfortable, once we get cold from outside of seat, went inside of seats that was very warm, toilets were clean.

Monica

Sep 2025

Verified booking

5/5

You cannot visit Budapest without seeing it from a cruise boat on the Danube and particularly in the evening when all the monuments are lit up creating a really wonderful effect. I did it on a small wooden boat from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. and it was really fantastic with all the lights of the city and bridges reflected on the Danube

Pia

Jul 2025

Verified booking

4/5

The boat and the cruise were lovely. I ordered the Strawberry lemonade and it was very good. The staff was friendly and service was good. I wish I would have known beforehand to bring headphones for the audioguide (ofc it's possible to put the phone on loud but imo that's disrespectful

Sail on a historic 19th-century paddle steamer as you enjoy 360º views of Budapest from the Danube River on this 1-hour cruise.

Spot the 13th-century Buda Castle, Fisherman’s Bastion with its fairytale turrets, and the Chain Bridge, Budapest’s first bridge across the Danube.

Learn about Budapest’s history via the audio guide as you sail past Central Market Hall, its oldest indoor market, and Liberty Statue, built in 1947.

Choose between a day or evening cruise to see the city’s landmarks in the sunlight or illuminated against the dark sky.

1-hour daytime or evening Danube River sightseeing cruise

Boat tour in a historic 19th-century paddle steamer

Online audio guide in 28 languages: Hungarian, English, German, Spanish, Italian, French, Russian, Chinese, Romanian, Korean, Greek, Czech, Polish, Japanese, Ukrainian, Swedish, Portuguese, Arabic, Turkish, Hindi, Finnish, Norwegian, Dutch, Croatian, Slovak, Vietnamese, Danish & Bulgarian

Welcome drink

Free WiFi onboard

Audio headset

Earphones

Snacks and beverages

TOTAL DURATION60 minutes
FREQUENCY1.5 hours
MODE OF TRANSFERBoat
1 Boarding point
Dock 10, Marcius 15. square, Budapest
Get direction
Sights covered
Buda Castle
Elisabeth Bridge
Liberty Statue
Liberty Bridge
Gellért Thermal Baths
Budapest University of Technology
Petőfi Bridge
Budapest Whale (Bálna) shopping center
Central Market Hall
Inner City Parish Church
Gresham Palace
Hungarian Parliament Building
Margaret Bridge
Margaret Island
Széchenyi Chain Bridge
Fisherman’s Bastion

You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.

4.8
80 reviews
How do we collect reviews?
These ratings include verified reviews from both Headout guests and our trusted partners who operate this experience locally. All reviews come from real travelers who've taken this experience.
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Guests from United Kingdom, Spain, France and over 10 countries have loved this experience
What our guests say
Retegan
Nov 2025
Verified booking
5/5
Very well organized one hour tour with the boat on the Danube, highlighting the main tourist attractions of the City of Budapest, such as the Parliament House on the Pest side of the city, the Buda Castle, Gellert Hill with the Citadella on top of it and the bridges over the Danube (out of which the most ”touristic” in the Lanchhid - the Chains Bridge). Since the weather was gloomy, cold and wet, with intermitent rain, everything was organized indoors, a cosy heated space with tables, chairs and ornated with Christmas decorations. The entire vessel was ornated with Christmas decorations which added to the winter-holydays atmosphere. We were greetd with a glass of champagne at the beginning of the cruise. Would recommend this short cruise for those interested in sightseeing Budapest sailing on the Danube waves.
Keiko
Nov 2025
Verified booking
5/5
It was an amazing experience, we had 4pm boat and could see changing the sky colour,enjoyed the stunning views. welcome drink made us comfortable, once we get cold from outside of seat, went inside of seats that was very warm, toilets were clean.
Beverley
Nov 2025
Verified booking
5/5
Great boat to cruise on. It was organised clean and staff were lovely. We got an unexpected complimentary drink and luckily for us the weather was amazing .
Marta
Nov 2025
Verified booking
5/5
I loved the boat ride on the Danube, I went with my partner and it was a special moment for both of us touring the two banks of the Danube: Buda and Pest.
Frederic
Nov 2025
Verified booking
5/5
Superb experience in a boat beautifully decorated for the festive season, a great way to soak up the festivities :-)

What to bring

Carry a valid photo ID for verification.

Dogs are welcome but must be kept on a leash.

What’s not allowed

Outside food and drinks are not permitted.

Accessibility

This experience is not wheelchair accessible.

This experience is accessible for strollers/prams.

Additional information

This experience offers outdoor seating only, except in the case of rain, snow, or fog. Blankets are provided but we recommend dressing in layers and carrying a warm jacket.

Your voucher will be emailed to you instantly.

Display the voucher on your mobile phone with a valid photo ID at the boarding point.

Please arrive at the boarding point 15 mins before the scheduled time of your visit to avoid any delays.

Boarding point

Board your cruise at Duna Cruises - Budapest Sightseeing Boat Tours.

Address: Dock, Budapest, Jane Haining rkp. 10, 1052 Hungary.

Landmark: Meet near the Elizabeth Bridge (white suspension bridge) on the Pest side.

Get directions to the boarding point